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Show j Schwab's Characteristics i ' ' s. 1 1 NDREW CARNEGIE has been ; x credited with finding- Charles H. j' Schwqb but it was Captain W. R. 1 1 Jones who introduced him to Mr. Car- ' riffcie. Pehwab was IS years old when j he went to work in the mill at $6 a !week. He didn't drive stakes very Jong. In Fix months he was an assistant assist-ant engineer, and even Captain Jones i marveled at his thorough knowledge of ! the workings of the plant. It wasn't long until iSchwab was chief engineer. 31p w as only a ropy c heeked boy, clean cut and Fmiling and known to every man in the mill as "Smiling Charley" Schwab. At that time uhe Braddock plant was being torn up and cast on to the scrap h-ap. Captain Jones was carrying new I. leas into effect. The Meet industry was making progress by leaps and bound. Frequently new machinery-was machinery-was installed to take the place of old sad at a coft of thousands of dollars, only to bo abandoned in a few weeks, I when a greater improvement was j evolved. Young Schwab was working i nlongside of Captain Jones. He served j thf latter as a sort of encyclopedia of figure and facts. J Andrew Carmgie was living in Kighth street, Pittsburg, ten miles I wi-,y. He kept in touch with what Was going on at Braddock and cca- ' .Mortally called Captain Jones to Pitts- i burg to get a report. Captain Jones did not like the idea of getting out of harries har-ries to run down to Fittsburg, and in his blunt but kindly way he told Mr. Carnegie that the "cars were too slow" r.s:d he "didn't have time." i "Ky the way," paid Captain Jcnes to I Mr. 'arnegie one day. "I think I can I fix this matter without wasting anytime. any-time. I'vo h young fellow named . Schwab, and lie knows as much about; tir- plant an 1 tlx I'll send him down j report to you and if you tire talking j th.-.p y.,;l can have a little music, j S hv.ab can pJay first rate." i "All right, captain. I'd like to meet! i Mr. S'hv.ah," j(j .v. Carnegie. I i Sc':w;ib had n.-vr seen Mr. Carnegie, j j 1 in v. jn n Captain Jones told him to" go to p.usbuig aiid :e!I Mr. Carnegie what th y wei-A oV.ing h Flatted off with a. I nfideiit ease. He entered the steel j r.i"..u's presence unabashed and related j vilh accuracy and nihusiasm his story : of the iiiii.f-ns operations at Erad- j :-ik. M r. Carnegi" ve. astounded, j He m.uxcied at the youth's etticiency. j t'.i i::-ir.; i i i - ov. a w ide experience into ' ' he ..uiea,-(iv,1 i-.j tangle Schwab, j . I 'it the hoy niPt him at every point i I ' liK boyis!,. ( . ;npi ehen?ive style; I x'd Mi. C.iiii'gs attpntion ;,j the!, I . .,liy' ,l;r. !v'-' -l'!icd me off my I f f.t'.' i,r s-tjd some years ".""" JI- -"ci me witat was l"-'g !'.'H". liw it was being done and v-h. n was beiiiK done. He was very nr-eshing." I Aftoj- they had talked "shop" for j p vctai hours youni; Schwab picked up his net ami started to go.' I -vu ntust play i'oi' me," said I C.-u-xgie. when they had reached I '";" :!"!-. "I almost forgot." 1 in afraid J don't piav very well," 1 s;ud Schwab, "but I'll do the best 1 j an. He pNycd the old songs the I "i'"s that had been popular in Mr. Car- .icg:r-;: youth and which had grown j mt.j ( lassies in his maiuritv. He piaved 1 an oij Scotch ball.id and touched the ironmasters heurt. II 'a music clinched 1 '.nr .:' 1 J,IS steel Knowledge had in- I i.ru hi Mr. Carnegie's regard I vtlhat, ,V8"S tlie har-nor Jay in Schwab's I Me. It opened the great field which !'WM destined to cover. From that I nj Mi ( arnegje never lost sight of f !,,m,- sVhwab'" ability enabled him . Wlth rPdit overy prjec,t as" I -ined .o hnn. Schwab become en- ! 'IV''1' and tll'n superintendent. " r. h- P? 1,;!U'1,,,y Ut f his ,eens Schwab h r , I!VYesta1 millH. He was I J mt jears old when Captain Jones ! ' 'V',; iiIld h" became general su- -.imenrlent o, the Edgar-Thompson vorks at a salary of S.OOO a year. I It may be -aid that Schwab's music n Hrrd,Mr-.Caniesie'8 Philanthropy in the direction of vhurch organs He ! I --.aj-ed an organ which Mr. Carnegie) I r;aJ installed in his home. He was a! lln performer. At the Franciscan I Fdiool where he had received his mu- I education, he had spent manv i hours at the organ. The music he pro- I duced in Mr. Carnegie's home was d!f- i fcrent from any the steelmaker had I ever heard. The result was accom- I plished by the combination of a good I instrument and a good performer. I On the subject of religion Mr. Car- j 'icgie has always been discreet about J j.vpreFsing a public opinion, but years fco he is said to have remarked tnat f,od music "would soothe the soul of I any human creature." I "I've been to many churches." he f f aid one evening to Schwab,' while the : latter wa.s playing, "but I haven't! heard much of that kind of music." "I think it is the fault of the organs," or-gans," gaid Schwab. It was not long after that when Mr. Carnegie presented the Homestead church with the finest organ that money could buy. The subject of Mr. Schwab's apparent appar-ent prodigality once led eome of his friends to an interesting discussion. They finally decided that Mr. Schwab's generosity was partly due to a lack of knowledge of the real value of money because he had never known the experience ex-perience of being "pinched" for it. Schwab was not a poor boy. It is true he drove a stage for his father at Lo- retta, but that was in vacation time I and more for recreation than anything j clpe. One day Schwab asked an old friend in Braddock for advice in investing his money. He was only getting ?6 a week. "Why. you haven't any money, have you?" asked the friend. "I've nearly ?100,: said Schwab. "But how did you save it? You only got f3.B0 at the grocery and you only get 6 now. "How would I spend it?" said Schwab. "A few books -and so much every Sunday at church. AVhat else would I do with it?" Schwab didn't understand ustii long after why his friend, after a burst of uncontrollable laughter; said: "Boy, you're all right: you've a great future." Schwab's philanthropy was measured meas-ured by the degree of his prosperity. As the years rolled by and his income increased his charities or gifts or re-m re-m mbrances. as he was wont to call them, footed up to a comfortable sum. He lived in simple, unostentatious fashion, even after he was married, although his home at Braddock was a model of taste and comfort. In the Braddoek and Homestead mills were many old veterans who had been left behind in the rapid march of the ste?i business. In the days before the machinery had replaced re-placed them they had been well paid. Some of them had been pensioned, roine had retired to live on their savings, sav-ings, but a few still worked in the mill in the humble role of watchman. They all knew Mr. Schwab as "Charley," and were very fond of him Some accepted Mr. Schwab's "remembrances," "remem-brances," but others scented charity, and. with a show,- of pride which Mr. Schwab admired, although he was amused, declined to receive his gifts. One old watchman at Homestead v. as unapproachable, but finally he was cnuglu napping. "What time is ;t?" Mr. Schwab asked him one-day. "Why, Charley, it's just'' ."That's a fine old watch," inter-ru inter-ru tiled Mr. Schwab. ; "Keeps good time, Charley." . . ! "I would like to own it. I will give ' J'ou $100 and a new watch for it." i "Why, it'a not worth $10." exclaimed ) the watchman. 'Take it for nothing, i Charley." ! "Thank you very much," said Mr. j Schwab, and he walked away, j It happened to be pay day at the l works and when the watchman drew j bis envelope he found in it a new $100 I bill and a new watch. He was very in-i in-i dignant and demanded to see Mr. i Schwab, but the latter had escaped, i The watchman, however, persisted in j hi efforts to interview Mr. Schwab, i until one day he .-eecived a note in Mr. j Schwab's Handwriting, which read: "The intrinsic value of your watch, i John, may not exceed $10. but it is I north ten times that much to me because be-cause of its former associations. I beg you to accept my view of the matter." The watchman said that of Mr. j Schwab put it that v.ay he would have J to submit. j Mr. Schvib bung the watch from I the chandelier in the billiard room of his home. In a short time it had nfany companions. Tlie vetches of nearly every old veteran in the mills finally found their way to Mr. Schwab's chandelier. chan-delier. . The great Homestead strike brought on th most strenuous period of Mr. Schwab's life. He sot only had" to bring about peace, at Homestead, but he had to. keep the ranks in the other mills from defection. He was firm but fair. It was Mr. Schwab who finally, by his personal influence, brought peace out of the chaos and riot and murder. Thereafter he profited by experience, as also did the men, and during the steel s!ike of 1901 he had no difficulty in holding Homestead and Braddock against the "assaults of the union organizers. or-ganizers. In the same billiard room Mr. Schwab often entertained his friends. It was also his policy to promote sociability among his subordinates, the heads of the various departments. Over a billiard bil-liard game or a game of cards he frequently fre-quently planned extensive improvements. improve-ments. . ' Mr. Schwab was fond of a good joke, often played them on his friends, and laughingly submitted to being the butt of one himself. .He was subject to the mopt surprising and unexpected actions. ac-tions. - During a game of billiards at his home one night, when the score was close, he suddenly turned to his opponent op-ponent and said: "I'll bet my trousers against yours that I beat you." "Very well," It's" a go," was the reply. re-ply. Mr. Schwab won. He demanded his winnings, and when the other hesitated hesitat-ed the other members of the party began be-gan to deride him.- He disrobed. Shortly Short-ly after the loser said: "Well. Charley, surely you will lend me a pair?" "Indeed, I will not," said Mr. Schwab. "What! You don't expect me to go home in this attire.?'- ; "Why, of course; that s 'where you lose." ' '-.' . '''.. j" He took 4o -the alleyways for his home, six- blocks awav:and was chased by two policemen who had been sent after him by his fellow "merry-, makers. ... Mr. Schwab's motto in running the Carnegie, works was "never rest." He believed nothing was perfect. As soon as he installed an improvement he started to find means of improving on that improvement. He encouraged his subordinates to think, to suggest. He offered them inducements. Although the works were immensely profitable he strived continually to make them more so., s It was Mr. Schwab who carried out the plan of giving the superintendents a personal interest in the output of their depa-tments. He invited them to dinner. "Now, I want each of you to tell me what 3-our department can do," he said. Each man, after some mental figuring, figur-ing, gave his answer. "Very well," said Mr. Schwab, "now I'll give you so much bonus and we'll see what effect that will have on your production." The result was remarkable. The plan proved the most prolific the concern had ever adopted. v ' When Mr. Schwab was elected president pres-ident of the Carnegie Steel company he purchased, the Vandergrift . home, one of the handsomest residences in tlie city. Captain Vandergrift had spent .'; fortune on the decorations alone and they were the joy of the artistic set. Mr. Schwab determined to have everything new. The Vandergrift Vander-grift decorations were effaced and replaced. re-placed. Those of the artistic set who got glimpses of the new decorations described the act as sacrilege. When Mr. Schwab heard this he said: "It's all a matter of taste." St. Taul Globe, |